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Native American Studies Program
The purpose of the Native American Studies major and minor is to introduce students to a broad range of approaches to the academic study of Native American people, history, and culture. Students who major in Native American Studies have the opportunity of doing advanced work in a number of related fields, including literature, sociology, education, and law.

Director of Native American Studies
All courses in the program in some way promote the ongoing discussion of how academic knowledge about Native Americans relates to experiences of Native American people and communities.
Students also have access to a variety of special resources, including academic and peer mentoring, summer paid internships, and special programs sponsored by the program and Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.
History of the NAS Program
In 1970, the newly formed Stanford American Indian Organization (SAIO) conducted a needs assessment of Native American students at Stanford. The report advocated for Native American Studies, as well as a community center, theme residence, retention services, and increased recruitment of students, staff, and faculty.
Native American Studies and other ethnic studies remained a goal of student activists for many years. In 1987, SAIO along with other organizations representing students of color formed the Rainbow Coalition and presented a list of demands to the administration including improved curriculum and ethnic studies. Student activism culminated in a sit-in in 1989.
The first Native American studies classes were offered in 1992 by Professor Robert Warrior (Osage). Finally, in 1997, Native American Studies was established officially as part of the Center for Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.
Major Requirements
In order to earn a B.A. in Native American Studies, students must complete at least 60 units toward the major.
- 15 Units of Core Curriculum
- 4-5 Units of a Major Core Course
- 3-5 Units of a Methodology Course
- 6-10 Units of Interdisciplinary Breadth Courses
- 10-20 Units of Native American Studies Electives
- Community Engaged Learning
Core Curriculum (15 Units)
Majors must take three CSRE core curriculum courses including:
- CSRE 196C - Introduction to Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (5 units)
- One Comparative Course Course (5 units)
- SOC 19N - The Immigrant Experience in Everyday Life
- CSRE 21N - How to Make a Racist
- CSRE 32 - Theories in Race and Ethnicity: A Comparative Perspective
- CSRE 51Q - Comparative Fictions of Ethnicity
- PSYCH 75 - Introduction to Cultural Psychology
- CSRE 55N - Black Panther, Hamilton, Díaz, and other Wondrous Lives
- CSRE 103B - Race, Ethnicity, and Linguistic Diversity in Classrooms: Sociocultural Theory and Practices
- CSRE 142 - The Literature of the Americas
- CSRE 149 - The Laboring of Diaspora & Border Literary Cultures
- CSRE 245 - Understanding Racial and Ethnic Identity Development
- CSRE 189 - Race and Immigration
- CSRE 246 - Constructing Race and Religion in America
- CSRE 253C - Histories of Racial Capitalism
- CSRE 293 - Black and Brown: American Artists of Color
- CSRE 389A - Race, Ethnicity, and Language: Racial, Ethnic, and Linguistic
- One Capstone Course (5 units)
- CSRE 200X - CSRE Senior Seminar
- This capstone course will draw upon your disciplinary expertise and training in race studies by giving you the opportunity to design and complete a public-facing research project or research paper.
- CSRE 201X, 201Y, & 201Z - CSRE Honors Seminar
- The Honors Thesis Seminar is a research- and writing-intensive course designed to help students reflect on CSRE coursework and to apply their skills, knowledge, and political commitments to the investigation of a focused research question.
- CSRE 200X - CSRE Senior Seminar
Major Core Course (4-5 Units)
Majors are required to take NATIVEAM 100 - Decolonizing Methodologies: Introduction to Native American Studies.
Methodology Course (3-5 Units)
Majors are required to take a course focused on research methods relevant to their disciplinary approach as a student in Native American Studies. Methodology Courses can be found on Explore Courses by using CSRE::Methodology as the search key.
Interdisciplinary Breadth (6-10 Units)
Majors are required to fulfill the Interdisciplinary Breadth Requirement by taking one course in a Social Science category, and one course in an Arts & Humanities category. Both Interdisciplinary Breadth classes must center issues of race and ethnicity. Categories of classes can be found on the School of Humanities & Sciences Bulletin Page.
Native American Studies Electives (10-20 Units)
Majors are required to complete their additional courses in Native American Studies.
Community Engaged Learning
All Native American Studies majors participate in a community engaged learning experience. The CEL requirement may be fulfilled by a CEL course, fellowship, Alternative Spring Break, Honors Thesis, Senior Project, and/or internship.
To find a more detailed overview of this major please visit our Bulletin Page.
If you are ready to declare, please visit the How to Declare Page
Minor Requirements
In order to earn a Minor in Native American Studies, students must complete at least 30 units toward the minor.
- 5 Units of a Core Curriculum Course
- 5 Units of a Major Core Course
- 20 Units of Native American Studies Electives
Core Curriculum (5 Units)
Minors must take CSRE 196C - Introduction to Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity.
Major Core Course (5 Units)
Minors are required to take NATIVEAM 100 - Decolonizing Methodologies: Introduction to Native American Studies.
Native American Studies Electives (20 Units)
Minors are required to complete their additional courses in Native American Studies.
To find a more detailed overview of this minor please visit our Bulletin Page.
If you are ready to declare, please visit the How to Declare Page
Courses
Code | Title | Instructor | Quarter | Day & Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
NATIVEAM 5A | Muwekma House Seminar | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Autumn 2022 - 2023 |
Tuesday
6:00 PM- 7:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 112 | Muwekma Community Engaged Learning, Cultural Heritage and Native Plants Garden Field Project (ARCHLGY 112A) | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Autumn 2022 - 2023 |
|
NATIVEAM 114 | Comparative History of Racial & Ethnic Groups in California (HISTORY 250B) | Anderson, J. (PI) | Autumn 2022 - 2023 |
Thursday
11:30 AM- 1:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 118 | Heritage, Environment, and Sovereignty in Hawaii (CSRE 118E, SUSTAIN 118) | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Autumn 2022 - 2023 |
|
NATIVEAM 120 | Is Pocahontas a Myth? Native American Women in History | Red Shirt, D. (PI) | Autumn 2022 - 2023 |
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM- 11:50 AM |
Code | Title | Instructor | Quarter | Day & Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
NATIVEAM 12 | Muwekma Native Plants Garden Field Lab | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Friday
12:30 PM- 2:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 17 | Indigenous Peacemaking: A Framework for Learning and Practice at Stanford | Biestman, K. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Monday
3:30 PM- 5:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 111B | Muwekma: Landscape Archaeology and the Narratives of California Natives (ANTHRO 111C, ARCHLGY 111B) | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Tuesday Thursday
1:30 PM- 2:50 PM |
NATIVEAM 121 | Discourse of the Colonized: Native American and Indigenous Voices (CSRE 121) | Red Shirt, D. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM- 11:50 AM |
NATIVEAM 123 | Food Sovereignty | Briones, V. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Thursday
3:00 PM- 4:50 PM |
NATIVEAM 126 | Mo'olelo Aloha Aina: Hawaiian Perspectives on Storytelling, Land, and Sovereignty | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Tuesday
5:30 PM- 6:50 PM |
NATIVEAM 240 | Psychology and American Indian/Alaska Native Mental Health (EDUC 340, PSYCH 272) | LaFromboise, T. (PI) | Spring 2022 - 2023 |
Wednesday
10:30 AM- 1:20 PM |
Code | Title | Instructor | Quarter | Day & Time |
---|---|---|---|---|
NATIVEAM 5B | Muwekma House Seminar | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Winter 2022 - 2023 |
|
NATIVEAM 100 | Decolonizing Methodologies: Introduction to Native American Studies | Biestman, K. (PI) | Winter 2022 - 2023 |
Monday
3:30 PM- 5:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 103S | Indigenous Feminisms (CSRE 103S, FEMGEN 103S) | Anderson, J. (PI) | Winter 2022 - 2023 |
Thursday
11:30 AM- 1:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 112 | Muwekma Community Engaged Learning, Cultural Heritage and Native Plants Garden Field Project (ARCHLGY 112A) | Wilcox, M. (PI) | Winter 2022 - 2023 |
Friday
12:30 PM- 2:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 115 | Introduction to Native American History | Red Shirt, D. (PI) | Winter 2022 - 2023 |
Tuesday Thursday
10:30 AM- 11:50 AM |
NATIVEAM 162 | Tribal Economic Development and Sustainability (EARTHSYS 163) |
Lomax, B. (PI)
Blankenship, C. (PI) |
Winter 2022 - 2023 |
Monday
12:30 PM- 2:20 PM |
NATIVEAM 32SI | Sustainable Design and Practice in Native American Architecture (ARTSTUDI 32XSI, CEE 32XSI) |
Carlsson, D. (GP)
Tuttle, G. (GP) Barton, J. (PI) |
Winter 2022 - 2023 |
Thursday
4:30 PM- 6:20 PM |